Multiple sources have told the Orlando Sentinel reports that UCF might be heading to the Big East as early as next week are premature.

While technically not inaccurate — we all could win the lottery next week — the reports imply a UCF move to the Big East is a done deal. We’re not there yet.

As I reported extensively yesterday, UCF is in excellent shape for a potential move to the Big East. However, I have been told Big East officials haven’t committed to preemptive expansion yet to secure the conference’s future if it ends up getting raided by other leagues. The issue will be discussed today during a teleconference by league officials. UCF may end up with a conditional invitation, meaning the Knights would be one of the top choices if and when the Big Ten or another league actually raids the Big East. It would mean no change in the short term for the Knights. The Big Ten could wait as much as 12 months to make its final decisions on expansion, potentially dipping into the Big East or another league that would refill its ranks from the Big East.

The situation remains fluid, and much could change in the next 24 hours. UCF could fall from its perch as one of the top expansion candidates or Big East officials could end up putting zero conditions on a potential UCF invitation.

It’s worth noting the only people reporting potential major changes in the Big East are in Orlando. Media outlets that cover the Big East year-around and have some of the best sources on the league’s decisions have not reported the conference is on the verge of such a big decision. The Memphis Tigers are widely considered to be another strong Big East expansion candidate. The Memphis Commercial Appeal and other Memphis-based media outlets have yet to do more than repeat the WKMG-Channel 6 report stating Sports Director David Pingalore was told a UCF invitation “is highly likely.” A Tampa radio station briefly reported Wednesday afternoon UCF to the Big East was a done deal before back-tracking, stating the invitation would depend on Rutgers or another school leaving the Big East.

The Big East is one of many groups that feels safer today thanks to the Big 12’s ability to survive the last raid. Big East Commissioner John Marinatto told AOL Fanhouse’s Brett McMurphy he sent 10 red roses and 10 white roses to Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe with a card that read, “Unity.”

It’s safe to say the Big 12’s near demise got the Big East’s attention. However, the Big East’s big problem remains that it is a 16-team basketball conference and an eight-team football conference. The basketball schools feel like they can’t get any bigger without hurting their ability to win a national championship, and the football schools desperately want at least one more program for scheduling purposes.

McMurphy also posted a response to the UCF to the Big East rumors on his Twitter account. He wrote on Wednesday, “Soon, as in, not until Big Ten takes a Big East team RT @BigDogwdae: Coming soon?? UCF & Memphis to Big East? Rutgers going where”

And McMurphy just posted another Twitter update today stating, “Big East commish tells FanHouse reports of UCF/Memphis to Big East by Orlando TV station are `not true.’”

Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich, a close friend of UCF Athletic Director Keith Tribble, told the Louisville Courier-Journal the Big East was a big winner after the Big 12 avoided implosion during the past week.

“The Big East is what we would love to see stay together, because we fit here,” Jurich told the newspaper. “As long as we can continue to go forward and look at how we can continue to improve ourselves, I think that’s the most important thing that we can focus in on right now.”

Does that mean adding teams now to protect the Big East’s future? Jurich didn’t say and it’s too soon to assume the Big East has already made that decision.

suitanim

06-18-2010, 11:38 AM

UCF is a nice program. They just built a new stadium on campus and it's one of those "emerging programs" to keep an eye on.

BigNastyDefense

06-18-2010, 07:29 PM

UCF wouldn't be in the Big 10's game plan, IMHO. That's too far to travel on a bi-annual basis, especially for smaller sports. I think the Big 10 wants to remain in the Midwestish area...if they were to expand outside of it then Syracuse or Rutgers to get into the New York market.

Otherwise the Big 10 will try to get the following schools: Pitt, Notre Dame (who doesn't even play football in the Big East), Cincinnati, Syracuse, Rutgers.

suitanim

06-19-2010, 05:29 AM

No, I was talking about the Golden Knights for the Big East.

SteelCityMan786

06-19-2010, 01:46 PM

UCF wouldn't be in the Big 10's game plan, IMHO. That's too far to travel on a bi-annual basis, especially for smaller sports. I think the Big 10 wants to remain in the Midwestish area...if they were to expand outside of it then Syracuse or Rutgers to get into the New York market.

Otherwise the Big 10 will try to get the following schools: Pitt, Notre Dame (who doesn't even play football in the Big East), Cincinnati, Syracuse, Rutgers.

Ummmm, this is for the Big East. Appologies if I sounded rude BND.

Godfather

06-19-2010, 03:27 PM

Is adding UCF really a good deal for the Big East? It doesn't add to the conference's geographic footprint and it still leaves them three teams short of a conference championship game. Plus it puts the BE at an unwieldy 17 teams in most sports.

East Carolina and Memphis would be the best candidates for expansion right now but I don't see who the 11th and 12th teams would be.

SteelCityMan786

06-19-2010, 03:41 PM

Is adding UCF really a good deal for the Big East? It doesn't add to the conference's geographic footprint and it still leaves them three teams short of a conference championship game. Plus it puts the BE at an unwieldy 17 teams in most sports.

East Carolina and Memphis would be the best candidates for expansion right now but I don't see who the 11th and 12th teams would be.

UCF would only provide a geographic rivalry for USF(Which is a team that I DON'T understand why it's in the Big East. It should be in the ACC or SEC). They need to get rid of them and Depaul and Marquette. Bring in Memphis, and maybe East Carolina and then attempt to push Nova to update their facilities to the point where they can be considered I-A and then bring them in as the 10th Football member. The Big East isn't a conference in my opinion worthy of being considered a BCS Conference. Other then WVU and Pitt, why do they really have? It's one of the if not the best basketball conferences, and the worst football conference.

Godfather

06-19-2010, 04:17 PM

UCF would only provide a geographic rivalry for USF(Which is a team that I DON'T understand why it's in the Big East. It should be in the ACC or SEC). They need to get rid of them and Depaul and Marquette. Bring in Memphis, and maybe East Carolina and then attempt to push Nova to update their facilities to the point where they can be considered I-A and then bring them in as the 10th Football member. The Big East isn't a conference in my opinion worthy of being considered a BCS Conference. Other then WVU and Pitt, why do they really have? It's one of the if not the best basketball conferences, and the worst football conference.

Good analysis.

I agree they shouldn't be a B(C)S conference, but if it were up to me there would be no autobids. An AQ conference can still produce an undeserving team.

They should split off the non-football schools into a new Catholic League and try to pick up four CUSA East or MAC teams to get to 12 teams for football.

SteelCityMan786

06-19-2010, 07:18 PM

Good analysis.

I agree they shouldn't be a B(C)S conference, but if it were up to me there would be no autobids. An AQ conference can still produce an undeserving team.

They should split off the non-football schools into a new Catholic League and try to pick up four CUSA East or MAC teams to get to 12 teams for football.

I'd be happy with no autobids myself. Personally, I am a guy who is a heavy pro playoff guy. If the conferences were to all merge together and evenly split up all of the 120 FBS Football teams into a conference, they could have a playoff that way. Personally I wasn't opposed to the idea of Super Conferences. Especially if it meant that the Championship was going to be won on the field. The NCAA as far as I am concerned are BLATANTLY hypocritical. They claim that Football players will miss too much class time if there is a playoff. BULLCRAP I say to all of them. In fact, out of all of the sports at the collegiate level, Football players miss the least amount of class time. If they're that hellbent, why not hold it during the holiday breaks? They miss no class time still or if it runs for whatever reason into the first week of spring classes, they will miss very little class time.

BigNastyDefense

06-20-2010, 10:29 PM

Funny thing is, football is played once a week. So I don't see all this missed class time for why there is no football playoff.

Yet you send basketball teams cross country for the NCAA basketball tournament.

suitanim

06-21-2010, 12:05 PM

Not sure...Memphis is an elite basketball program, but no great shakes on the gridiron. ECU is a straight-up mid-tier program, although they seem to have upside. This is the Big East, too, which is NOT an elite conference football-wise. I still think you look at UCF because you have a Florida team there already, so it somewhat balances that, and the Golden Knights have made a commitment to upgrading their sports programs. The fact that they are in Orlando also plays a role...one of the reasons Texas and the fans of Texas A&M were so enamored of the Pac 10 is all the new destinations, including Disneyland. I'm sure fans in the NE wouldn't really mind taking a trip to Orlando in the winter to watch their alma mater play UCF and take in the sites at Disney while they are there.

Dino 6 Rings

06-22-2010, 04:38 PM

I'd like to see UCF join the Big East. Adding them and Memphis would be a nice little boost. Was hoping the BE went after Kansas or K State if the 12 imploded, but guess that can't happen.

Dino 6 Rings

06-22-2010, 04:43 PM

Oh and as for the "knock" on the BE for not being an elite Football program, as if the Pac 10 is? Really? Cal? Stanford? That's not elite football. Arizona State? Oregon and their 85 uniforms?

or the Big 10 for that matter? Grabbing Nebraska basically makes it a 4 team conference now. Mich, State, OSU and Nebraska and then, everyone else.

Pretty much, there is only one SEC. and now, the Big 2 in the Big 12. Texas and Oklahoma.

So the Big East is holding its own in Out of Conference Games, and in Bowl Games. Yeah, they aren't "pretty" but they getting over losing Miami, Va Tech and Boston College and pretty darn good in B-Ball as well.

UCF Would be a great pick up. 3rd largest campus in the country.

Nadroj 20

06-22-2010, 05:29 PM

Funny thing is, football is played once a week. So I don't see all this missed class time for why there is no football playoff.

Yet you send basketball teams cross country for the NCAA basketball tournament.

Yea and this year i know it fell on Ohio's (and im sure many other schools)...Mid-Terms week.

So all of those guys had to take them earlier in the week, or after they returned which would be a PAIN.

suitanim

06-22-2010, 09:26 PM

Um....huh?

Big East has maybe one football team a year in contention, and that is usually due to it's own internal weakness. There is no "beating each other up". Big Ten is now Michigan (which will recover), OSU, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa (ask the SEC how bad that program is) are all perennial top 25 teams, and that's half the conference. It's NORMAL for the Big Ten to have 5-6 teams in the top 25. It's a HUGE aberration for the Big East to. The Pac 10 is leaps and bounds better than the Big East...and if the Big Ten strips a quality program or two, the BE will be on-par with the MAC in football before they know it.

The bottom line is this: The Big Ten is looking to secure Notre Dame and one other top-flight school from the region. The Big East, meanwhile, has to seriously look at programs like Memphis, East Carolina and UCF.